Despite plans for a Yorkshire beagle breeding facility being rejected in 2012 by the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government Eric Pickles MP, another application has recently been submitted to East Riding Council for the same purpose and on the same land in Grimston.

The BUAV is calling on the Planning Committee of the Council of East Riding to reject the planning proposal by Yorkshire Evergreen to construct a new facility to breed and supply dogs and rodents to the research industry.

In January 2012, plans by Bantin & Kingman Universal Ltd for a beagle breeding facility on the same site were rejected after public outcry at the news, which saw Brian May and Ricky Gervais join the BUAV to campaign for the application to be rejected.

The BUAV’s Our Best Friendscampaign is calling on the Government to ban all experiments on dogs and cats in the UK and includes requesting no further facilities are granted permission to breed dogs for the sole purpose of supplying to UK laboratories.

The most recent annual Home Office statistics report that 3,214 dogs suffered in 4,843 tests in Great Britain in 2012. This is a 6% increase in the number of dogs used compared to the previous year (2,865 in 2011), and a rise of 12% in the number of experiments carried out (4,552 in 2011). 3,595 experiments were conducted on dogs that had been specifically bred in the UK for experiments.

Beagles are largely used in toxicity (poisoning) testing both for human and veterinary drugs, as well as agrochemicals. They can be force fed chemicals and drugs in capsules or via plastic tubes inserted through their mouths, directly into their stomach or strapped into a harness for hours at a time while substances are pumped directly into their bloodstream. Animals can suffer adverse effects that result in vomiting, diarrhoea, weight loss and lethargy. Some dogs may become so ill that they either die or have to be euthanased for welfare purposes.

We, the undersigned request that you reject the planning proposal by Yorkshire Evergreen to construct a new facility in Grimston, East Riding to breed and supply dogs and rodents to the research industry.

In January 2012, plans by Bantin & Kingman Universal Ltd (B&K) for a beagle breeding facility on the same site for the same purpose were rejected by the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government Eric Pickles MP, after public outcry at the news, which saw Brian May and Ricky Gervais join the BUAV’s successful campaign.

Research on dogs is highly controversial, for both ethical and scientific reasons. Great suffering and cruelty is intrinsic in the breeding and use of dogs in research. This is in addition to distress caused by the confined and unnatural conditions in which the dogs spend their whole lives.

In 2012, 3,214 dogs suffered in 4,843 experiments in Great Britain. Most experiments carried out on dogs are for testing drugs and chemicals. They are often used as what is termed the ‘second species’ in toxicity (or poisoning) tests after experiments have already been carried out on mice or rats. The dogs may be injected with or force fed drugs and chemicals and then observed for signs of adverse (toxic) effects including vomiting, diarrhoea, internal bleeding and organ damage, seizures, paralysis - even death. They are often killed at the end of the experiment.